Directed by John Carpenter, 1994 (95 min.)
My rating: 
IMDB
Who knew organized confusion could be so satisfying?
* * *
Reality is what the majority decides it to be. If a group of people agree that what we call fish are actually bears, who would be right? Our reality and theirs differs, but ultimately we are both correct. In the Mouth of Madness examines insanity from a different angle, causing me to use my brain to think about substantial things (besides the usual questions of who should win RuPaul’s Drag Race). I have never been so grateful.
Sam Neill (who has been in about a bazillion things including Jurassic Park) carries the film as insurance investigator John Trent. He is tasked with finding out where famous horror writer Sutter Cane (Jurgen Prochnow) has disappeared to. He ends up in what is supposed to be a fictional town called Hobb’s End with Linda Styles (Julie Carmen) and spends the rest of the film trying to prove that this is all an elaborate hoax by Sutter’s publishing company to drum up more business. But reality and fiction mesh together in a way that would cause anyone to lose their grip. Can Trent expose the publicity stunt before he loses his mind? Or is his insanity the new reality? (And will Julie Carmen manage to ruin a perfectly good movie?)
No, really. Julie Carmen is the weak link here. Her acting, while not entirely terrible was lackluster next to everyone else (especially with Sam Neill!). She was quite wooden and her facial expressions…well, I couldn’t tell you because she had none. It’s a good thing Mr. Neill picked up the slack for her (he should get half her paycheck for that). The interesting plot also helped me forget about her. I was drawn in completely and eventually stopped getting annoyed with her performance. This was one time where the film itself was more important than that tiny annoyance. (Kind of like a fly buzzing in your ear.)
The special effects were amazing. Considering that they were done by KNB Studios, it’s not a surprise. They always seem to deliver much more than expected and they don’t disappoint this time either. (A tiny special mention to Greg Nicotero, because I am inexplicably obsessed with him.) The various monsters were all realistically horrible. Every little detail was given great care and the effects served to enhance an already enjoyably surreal situation.
John Carpenter has a knack for bringing stories to life and it is clear with this film. He is a living legend for a reason. The story which is based on H.P. Lovecraft (I’ve been told, since I’m not familiar with the author’s work) pops right out of the screen and into your brain. I found myself mulling over what constitutes sanity and I love it! (One can only talk about drag queens for so long before others question my sanity.) If you’re in the mood for a real brain tickler, this is on the top of my list. The best part? The re-watchability factor (I know, I’m making up words again) is quite high. Even after figuring out what exactly is going on, watching it again allows you to really enjoy the visuals (I heart you KNB!).
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The story which is based on H.P. Lovecraft (I’ve been told, since I’m not familiar with the author’s work)
There are Lovecraftian themes and references, but Mouth of Madness is not an adaptation of anything actually written by Lovecraft.
Other interesting references…Hobb’s End is named after a location in Quatermass and the Pitt; see Halloween III and Prince of Darkness for more Carpenter/Quatermass fun. Saperstein’s name may be a reference to Rosemary’s Baby. (In-jokes and references used as character names are something of a Carpenter trademark.) And Sutter Cane sets his stories in small, fictional New England towns…why does that seem familiar?
Awesome review!!! I absolutely LOVE this movie because it’s so trippy and has such a great story (as you’ve mentioned)
This movie always seems to be overlooked for some reason and never makes it to anyone’s favorites lists. Well, it’s definitely on mine for magnificently blurring the lines of reality. John Carpenter tries to reuse the same elements of obsession and reality-bending again for his episode of Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns. Only he uses movies as his medium instead of books.
Fantastic review Jori, keep up the great work!!!!
This movie got one thing wrong: Vigo the Carpathian would NEVER shoot himself. Ever. He’s the fuckin’ Scourge of Moldavia.
I think you have your epithets wrong. He’s the scourge of Carpathia, not of Moldavia. His relationship to Moldavia is that he is the sorrow of it.
I wanna know how I came to know so much about a movie I’ve never Goddamn seen.
Stunning review of one of my most beloved films of all time. Thank you.
For more Lovecraftian fun, the hotel is the Pickman House (run by the Mr. and Mrs.), ample time in and about asylums, ancient slimy things struggling to get back into our world, and of course the nod to the title of Lovecraft’s “At the Mountains of Madness”.
Topping it all is, of course, the very pragmatic and intelligent protagonist suddenly thrown up against an insidious alien menace the threat of which he, alone, knows and is mankind’s only dim hope.
This movie does it so well, you almost don’t even need to read Lovecraft to appreciate the man’s vision.
Nice review. In the Mouth of Madness is one of Carpenter’s gems that doesn’t get enough acclaim. On the first viewing, it’s good fun because he’s constantly messing with you. Once you think it’s going to become a typical genre film, Carpenter pulls the rug out from under you, and then the movie just goes nuts. I totally agree about the effects, which are surprisingly since the budget wasn’t super high. Good job.